KEXP Reviews

Released nearly one year after his death from a suspected suicide, the album Elliott Smith was working on at the time of his death turns out to be one of his best. From a Basement on the Hill could be his most diverse recording, ranging from unbearably intimate, acoustic-oriented songs that hearken back to his early albums to more fully produced orchestral pop and full-on rock that would’ve sounded right at home on his latter-day records. Still, the album’s a tough listen for this fan. The lyrics are often as dark as Elliott Smith gets (and very few artists were darker), with a few songs referencing suicide. This one really hurts. 10/1/2004
- Don Yates